Entertaining Guests With Pets

Discussion in 'Pets and Animal Lovers' started by blindpup10, Oct 18, 2016.

  1. Sparkle

    Sparkle Platinum IL'ite

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    Adding a few more:
    - Have a clean space for the guests and host to interact. Its annoying to cleanup dog hair from (black) clothes.
    - Stop comparing pets with kids. I adore the emotional bond between a pet owner and their pet(s). But please do not compare (the guests) kids and your pets.
    - Try and avoid conversations that go like "Do you like mommie" to your pet and ask the same question to guest's kids.

    IMO, how to communicate is the problem when you know the person or you are already invited. Not why. It puts you in a tough spot, to go or not to go, to tell the host or not, to drop the invitation totally or not. If you tell them, they could be offended. If you don't, you have to face what you fear and be in an uncomfortable place.

    Only the pet owner knows the pet's behaviour. Its impossible for a guest to know the pet's behaviour and adjust to it even if tips are given by the owner. If a dog is a jumper, the pet owner knows it and should be ready to act on it. Once it jumps or attempts to jump, the damage is already done. Even if the guest or a passerby wants to communicate it, it wont happen because they will be gripped with fear. Its even more irritating if the owner justifies the jumping by saying "Oh, he just jumped, nothing worse happened" or "he likes you", instead of apologising.

    Some people are allergic to cats and dogs. Its always better if the host informs the guest about the pets and also asks if they are ok with them being around.

    What relationship a pet owner values also plays a part here.
     
    dnormx01 and vaidehi71 like this.
  2. dnormx01

    dnormx01 Gold IL'ite

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    More than the pets, I am averse to pet-owners. They really behave like they are the coolest, most beautiful hearts on this earth while I am this timid, insensitive, rude, cold-hearted, non-empathetic and what not person. All this coz I express a slight discomfort with an animal around. And add to this their PDA. rubbing their noses with their the pet's, cuddling them, ruffling hairs, kissing.... All this exactly when I (the guest) am around. I mean, Was I invited to be the audience? you can do this and more when I am gone, why is it more important than the guest? I wonder. These pet owners, call their pets babies. Now do we cuddle, cling, kiss and pamper kids in front of every T, D and H? So why do it with your pets?

    Along with this, Whenever I enter a house with pets, whether I am in the know or not, I hate the odour of the place. It's not bad but it's not good. It's weird so much to sense there is an animal around. Maybe using air fresheners could help.

    Above all, whenever I see into the eyes of any pet, from Cow to dog to fish and a hamster, I feel very sad. It's a very heavy feeling. I feel they are being caged in these 4 walls when they belong to the nature outside. It's not their natural habitat and they are being reared and trained to be something else according to someone's choices. I really feel if given a chance, they would love to go into the wild and explore their paths, coz that's where they belong. All these thoughts make me so sad, that my whole evening is gone with a mood out. Takes me a few days to a week to get back to normal.
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2016
  3. anuyogam1988

    anuyogam1988 Gold IL'ite

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    I have a dog. If I have visitors who don’t love dogs, we put her in a room. I do not want my guests to feel uncomfortable. I have made few mistakes as a dog mom. Once we went to cottage, in the company of my husband's colleagues. We took our dog with us because she love people and she will miss us badly if she is in pet care. But I realized my few people were really uncomfortable because they are scared of dogs. So they would shout go away whenever my doggy goes behind them. I felt so bad :( Good that she can't understand when people scold her. My husband is a positive guy, he made me realize its a mistake on our part. Now we respect our guests and people we hang out with, we don't take our dog with us if they don't like dogs. We will ask them if dogs are allowed while planning trips. And we will only do day out with such friends as we will miss her or we will hang out with friends who love dogs. We love going alone with her too. She is 7, I am planning to adopt a dog brother for her <3

     
  4. Sparkle

    Sparkle Platinum IL'ite

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    That is something non-animal lovers / guests shouldn't do. When the owner is present, the guest should tell the pet owner to control/move the pet.
     
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  5. blindpup10

    blindpup10 Platinum IL'ite

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    No, its not hard for pet owners to hear that non- animal lovers don't like pets. One has the rights to say what they like or not like.

    Again, you don't have to list your dislikes about not liking a dog or cat. If any pet loving friend asks why... I simply think it is rude of the your friend to prod you to explain. It doesn't matter why you don't like it. You just don't. Be strong with forth coming answers and refuse to explain. Say something like "I just don't like pets".

    Hmmm, All I can say is I am not one among those people. But if your pet loving friend has called you names seriously think about what kind of person they are and you don't have to put up with that kind of attitude.
     
  6. blindpup10

    blindpup10 Platinum IL'ite

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    @Sparkle- If it wasn't for the other thread... I wouldn't seriously have known that non- animal lovers have such a hard time with pet loving, friends. I think the credit goes to everyone who contributed on the other thread.


    Yikes YIKES YIKES:yikes::yikes:. I haven't met anyone yet who has reptiles as pets. But I would be shitting bricks if I had to deal with reptiles.. even if they are in a cage. One of my friends had a ferret as a pet. Boy! was it cute. However, I never wanted to hold it or pet it. I was happy to watch it in the same room at a distance.

    If you don't me correcting... Having pets in the US can mean putting serious effort into maintaining them. Regular Vet visits, getting pets neutered or spayed, getting groomed and of course training them. If you have your pets groomed very regularly there won't be much to worry about regarding pets health. Yes, I have known from some of my friends that pet licking themselves or licking people is off-putting to some.

    Yes, you are absolutely doing it well. It is highly appropriate for the pet loving host to tell the guest that they have pets ahead and plan accordingly. If it is not mentioned in the initial conversation, I wouldn't hesitate to walk out of the house.

    Yikes. Seriously pet loving friends have to just train their dogs or cats which go after food. That is simply not the right way. Yes, the host shouldn't make light of their pets and explain.It comes across as almost defending the pets behavior.

    Big NO NO :nono: I would hesitate to even eat anything if I catch host doing it. I would also suggest that pet loving friends to have hand sanitizers around the house and please sanitize after touching pets. This is a big rule that is a must in my house. I also have a lint roller in my house for the guest to lint roll their clothes when they are ready to leave.

    I want to say the pets like to groom themselves apart from humans giving them a bath or shaving them often. When cats and dogs lick themselves its their notion of maintaining a clean coat or nails. It is the animals behavior and yes, if seeing pets groom themselves makes guest uncomfortable pets shouldn't be in the same room as the guest. I feel all these things should be considered by a nonanimal loving guest to say a strong NO to pets being in the house when they are entertained. The pet loving host should never push a non-animal lover friends to mingle, make friends or say its won't do that or this.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2016
  7. blindpup10

    blindpup10 Platinum IL'ite

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    Yes, although I am a pet owner I am not ok with pet hair everywhere. I really try my level best to keep my clothes and the house of fur free. I have a heavy shedder for a dog, and yes with a baby around I try my level best to have a clean fur- free house. This also means spending good time with our dog grooming and having to run Roomba everyday and vacuum every nook and corner of the living room once a week. I also have a lint roller when I entertain guest.
    I find this odd too.. I have never associated my self as a pets mommy.. but I do know some people strongly do this. But again, I think its their individual behavior.


    Well here is what I am gonna say- be honest, if you dont like pets and are not comfortable being around. Just simply put say NO. Non- animal lovers shouldn't think twice about anything else but themselves. Again, nonanimal lover knows themselves the best... When they say a strong NO, there will no chance given to pet loving friends to know what is ok or not ok with their guests. The choice becomes very obvious either entertain the guest at home without the presence of the pets or go meet in a different place.

    If you didn't know the host had a pet and surprised when the pets greet you. Excuse yourself, don't go into the house and make plans to meet your friend in a different place. Even if you are already invited. You should give importance to yourself. If the guest gives importance to themselves and say a strong NO. It is very rude on the pet loving friend not to oblige.

    Yes, only the pet owner knows the pet behavior and again pet loving friend doesn't know how pets are going to react to different people. Pets are not same with everyone. In such cases I think the non-animal lover should just refuse to be in the same space.

    Absolutely true.. allergic to cats and dogs. This is where an appropriate host would inform the guest beforehand about the pets. If they haven't, please refuse to go inside the house.

    Hmmm, if your pet loving friend respects and understands you for who you are. I think they also should accept that you are not ok with pets. Simply put pet loving friends can be entrained in non- animal lovers house or in a restaurants, cafes. The friendship can be retained without being obligated to compromise with the pets.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2016
  8. Sparkle

    Sparkle Platinum IL'ite

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    Having pets everywhere requires the same effort these days. Yes, there may not be much worry about pets health, but some habits stay the same with vaccinated and highly-groomed pets. A cat using the litter box for peeing and buries its own poop with its own paws, even walking on the floor is icky. A pet licking itself from head to toe, including private parts, can qualify as self-grooming to a pet owner. If I am a guest I will not bother making an attempt to pet the pet even if the pet owner asks me to in such cases.
    So is the case with an extremely salivating dog or any bare-bottomed pet sitting on furniture.

    There is a sequence here.
    - I visit someone when they invite me. When am invited by a pet owner, it is the pet owner's responsibility to tell me that they have pets. If I am informed about pets, I will tell them I am afraid of so and so pet and may be ask what pet they have and so on.
    - If I am uninformed about pets and when I encounter the pet during the visit, the pet owner cannot expect me to speak out first. Its not as simple as you are in my house, so my rules, you make an effort with everyone in my house. The pet owner should ask me if its OK to have the pet around, since they extended the invitation.
    - At a public place, it is always the pet owner's responsibility to act according to the situation.

    I guess all people who are a little extra cautious about a pet's behaviour or habit cannot be called a non-animal lover. Its just that they love them differently, maybe from a distance.
     
  9. blindpup10

    blindpup10 Platinum IL'ite

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    Hmmm, I need to come up with a better term... Suggest a new term if you please :)
     
  10. Sparkle

    Sparkle Platinum IL'ite

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    Well, being honest has never been an issue for me. What happens when a guest says no and tries not to make an effort of adjusting with the pet? The host is irritated. Didn't you say the same in your other thread? B did not make an effort and you were slightly offended. I know that was not the main incident that ticked you off. If she excused herself and left your house, you would be more offended since she left your house. Plus she wouldn't know if A will walk out with her.
    Excusing and going out of the house is not the only solution. Why invite anyone at all to the house when things are expected to go only a certain way?

    It is the pet owner's responsibility to move the pet when in a public space.

    This is a comment that should be on the other thread.
     

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